My brain is back!

Hello friends and family! I think I'll write a real entry on my blog page now. I've put some pictures on here and plan to put many more (so check here again in a few days, huh?!) I think that I'll write here a little more about how life is here in Santiago. I've been here for just about a week and a half now and in my new apartment for almost a week. I can't possibly describe to you what the culture shock was like once I moved in with my Spanish roommates...haha..but if you have experienced it, you know exactally what I mean! For those of you who don't, I basically lost my brain for a few days---I'm not sure where it went, but it wasn't in Spain! I felt frozen, scared, lonely, stupid and completely OVERwhelmed! I would see people talking, know that they were talking to me, and yet not know a word of what they were saying....GRRR..and I was a Spanish major! The past four or five days have been SO MUCH better...somewhere arouind Friday my brain came back to Spain and conversation came easier. I saw my first Spanish movie without subtitles and actually knew most of what was going on. I've also been able to begin making friends which has been a tremendous help! One of my roommates, Angela, and her novio, Javi, have really taken me in and we get to spend tons of time together...I'm growing to care about them a lot. Also part of what helps with the feelings of lonliness and my learning of the language is meeting students here for an intercambio over coffee. Half of the conversation is in Spanish and half in English. My first was on Saturday with Berta and we ended up going to a small pueblo the next morning to a mercado...great fun! There was another intercambio that afternoon and I have my next one tonight...they have been wonderful so far, but I'm usually a little nervous going into it. Today was my frist day of class, which will meet everyday from 9:30 to 2:30. There are only 6 of us foreigners in the class and our teacher is pretty dynamic and personal. I think that although my brain feels like oatmeal right now, the classes will be important and real helpful! OKAY...so I know that post has been pretty boring so check in the next few days and I'll have some pictures! :)